Cedar Rapids man sentenced to 40 years for sex exploitation of child, child porn

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man who recorded himself sexually abusing a child as part of his child pornography collection was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in federal prison.

Kevin Patrick Sullivan, 43, pleaded guilty Aug. 20 in U.S. District Court to one count each of sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child porn and possession of child porn.

Sullivan recorded himself sexually abusing a child between 2013 and 2015, according to evidence at sentencing. Sullivan stored these recordings on hard drives, which law enforcement officers found during a search of his home in January 2025.

Sullivan physically and sexually abused the child, starting at age 3, in numerous other ways between 2005 and 2016, Assistant U.S. Attorney Devra Hake said during the sentencing.

The victim in the sexual abuse offense gave a victim statement during sentencing.

According to a criminal complaint, Sullivan also received and possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including depictions involving infants, between 2013 and January 2025. Authorities found 2,000 images of child sexual abuse.

There were five victims identified in Sullivan’s case, which were found in a national repository available to law enforcement to help identify child victims, according to court documents.

U.S. District Chief Judge C.J. Williams ordered Sullivan to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term and to pay $5,000 in restitution to each of the known victims.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The case was prosecuted by Hake and investigated by the FBI and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Trish Mehaffey cover state and federal courts for The Gazette

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com